Bird Sancturary
by DigiAnimeArtist
Summary: Kiyoshi has moved to a new town in Japan. He finally meets his allusive neighbor, Amaya and learns she is quite unusual and mysterious. It's not just her, but the company she keeps and habits she has. Can Kiyoshi determine why Amaya is so reserved?
1. The Allusive Neighbor

**Ogawa High School**

_My love, my flower to the end of the day_

_How reassuring I've lost my way._

_To be with you amongst these thorns_

_As my sleeve is caught and suddenly torn._

_Without knowing what path I'm on_

_To slip into the evergreen on your lawn._

_Your beauty I have endowed from afar_

_A sweet kiss upon the wind's…. _

Amaya's hand stopped. She had no idea what would come after the part she wrote. The poem was beautiful, but lacking serious emotion in her eyes. She wondered if someone else happened upon it, if they would bother to change it, or accept it the way it was. She stared at the paper. The words had already molded with the paper and could not be changed. What was she trying to say exactly? She wasn't sure. Her eyes lifted to look out of the window behind her desk.

Amaya watched her neighbor walk outside with the trash. Her eyes fell onto the top of the other boy's head. _His hair is almost as dark as mine. I wonder where he's from originally. _The boy had moved in a month prior. Amaya hadn't bothered to introduce herself. She didn't believe in being too familiar with others. To her, it was pointless because the world changed so much. Why bother when things never stayed the same?

Amaya turned around to acknowledge her raven, as he started to make noises in his cage. "I don't care," she said unemotionally. "I won't go introduce myself. It's rather pointless to get to know someone who will change unexpectedly." The raven started to bite the bars with his long beak. "Complaining about it doesn't change my decision." Amaya watched her neighbor leave the house and wave to his mother. "I have class, anyway." She rose to retrieve her bag. Amaya chunked it over her shoulder. The poem would have to wait.

Amaya watched other high school kids walk in groups, or ride their bikes together. She was always walking alone with her hands in her pockets, her long black hair shielding her face. She didn't want to be in those kinds of groups. Most of the kids in those groups were happy and loud. Amaya was a quiet teenager who didn't pry. She supposed it was because nothing mattered to her. She kept her eyes focused on the sidewalk as she walked. A piece of paper blew towards her. She looked up to see her neighbor chasing it. Amaya snatched the paper before it went past her. The boy skidded on his feet and stopped to stare at her. She held out the paper for the boy.

Kiyoshi blinked at the black haired girl who caught his homework. He thought he recognized her as the girl who lived next door. Kiyoshi never saw her out of the house until now. He took his homework from the girl slowly, averting his eyes out of embarrassment. "Thank you," he said softly.

Amaya just stared at the boy. She walked past her neighbor keeping her eyes straight ahead. She didn't glance back at him. Amaya didn't want to question him why he was careless with his homework. She didn't particularly care.

Kiyoshi watched the girl walk away not. She didn't say anything. He wondered why she hadn't spoken. What was her problem exactly? Kiyoshi didn't know. He tucked his homework into his bag. He glanced at his watch. Class started in fifteen minutes. He started to run down the block. It wasn't wise to be late for Literature.

Kiyoshi stared out of the window as the teacher spoke about blossoms, trees, poetry – something he didn't understand. He watched a bird zoom through the courtyard. Kiyoshi's mind was on the previous morning. He hadn't suspected running into his neighbor. Everyone on the street had introduced themselves to him – it was customary. As he stared out of the window, the teacher tapped his desk. Kiyoshi looked up into the hard face of Mrs. Choshizen. She was giving him a look that made him think her body had been snatched by aliens, or ghosts.

"Mr. Takahashi, I am assuming there is something more interesting out of the window than my lecture about poetry in the seventeenth century? If it will be on your test Thursday, let me know," she said as she drifted away from him.

Kiyoshi froze. She didn't appear to be using her feet. He couldn't tell exactly because his teacher dressed in attire that was suitable for the century she was talking about in lecture. Kiyoshi found himself wishing she dressed in the twenty-first century, not the seventeenth. She glided across the room to tap her ruler on another desk to wake another student. The boy she had disturbed seemed a bit surprised as he fell out of his chair. _That woman weirds me out. She's suitable for lecturing in a graveyard._

Sachiko turned around in her chair to look at Kiyoshi. "Hi, good morning, Kiyoshi," she said rather giggly. Her long brown hair flowed over her shoulders. She had decided to curl her hair today. "Mrs. Choshizen is wearing the proper dress that a Lord's wife from Britain would have worn almost three hundred years ago."

Kiyoshi raised a brow at Sachiko. Nothing was peculiar to that girl. "I wonder if her underwear is from three hundred years ago," he found himself saying.

Sachiko tilted her head thinking as she placed her finger by her mouth. "No, I don't think so," she said quite seriously. "They didn't wear underwear that far back."

Kiyoshi tensed. Sachiko had successfully created a horrible vision in his head about Mrs. Choshizen. He started to rub the palm of his hands against his forehead, trying to bore the image out of his mind.

Sachiko looked at the clock. "Oh, class is over." All of the students stood up and bowed low to the teacher. Sachiko walked out of the class as Kiyoshi followed her. He had a terrible look on his face. "Poetry isn't that hard, Kiyoshi. If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything," she said smiling at him. "I'll see you later." She waved at him as she took down the hall.

Kiyoshi made his way to art class. He didn't mind art so much. It was poetry he didn't understand. Art was basically what you saw, or how you viewed certain things. He passed the other students as he went down the flight of stairs. As he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, he noticed the girl he had ran into earlier that morning. His new neighbor was looking out of one of the main windows down the corridor. Kiyoshi wondered what she was looking at. He watched as the girl kept scratching his head while looking down at a notepad. The dark haired girl put the pad away, glanced out of the window again, and then went on her way down the hall. Kiyoshi wondered about something for a moment. He sighed. It wasn't like him to be nosey. Kiyoshi started to follow her.

Amaya couldn't figure out the poem she had written that morning. It was driving her mad. The more she looked into the small notepad she kept in her pocket, the more discouraged she became. She felt she was losing the meaning of it. Sometimes writing came to a poet easily and sometimes it didn't. It was one of those things. She stopped. Slowly, she turned her head. She sensed someone following her. Amaya kept her eyes down the corridor for a moment before she turned the corner slowly. There was someone following her alright.

Kiyoshi walked down the corridor slowly looking around at the boards. He wondered where this particular one went. He had never been down here before. Kiyoshi was normally a good student who went straight to his classes and sat quietly. Why was he choosing to skip his art class to follow his neighbor? He had no idea really. It defiantly wasn't like him. As Kiyoshi turned the corner, he looked to the left and to the right. He didn't see the dark haired girl anywhere. There weren't any classes down here.

Kiyoshi noticed how dark the hallway was down here. He wondered why the lights weren't on. Then again, maybe this hall was where the janitor stored all of the extra desks and supplies. The further he walked, the more unease he felt. It was as if someone was watching him. He was nearing the corner that led down another hall when he stopped. Kiyoshi's eyes went wide. There was someone behind him. He tensed as his heart started to race.

"Why are you following me," Amaya asked as she looked at the boy in front of her. The boy whirled around to stare at her, his eyes wild. She had scared him. "It serves you right for stalking someone. What interest am I to you?"

Kiyochi almost snapped. He wanted to throw an eraser at her for scaring him half to death. "I was only curious! You didn't have to stand there like a vampire and watch me from the shadows!" He watched the girl step towards him. Eiji blushed. His neighbor was rather serious and held her voice low for the most part. She was unusual.

Amaya looked over the boy with a gaze that showed no threat and no real concern. "Is it a habit of yours to be this curious?" The boy wasn't answering her. Amaya raised her eyebrow at the boy. "Pervert," she said finalizing him.

Kiyochi's mouth dropped. "I am not a pervert! I didn't mean to stalk you. I only recognized you from earlier and was trying to figure out… who you were exactly," Kiyochi said as he looked away from the girl's dark eyes.

Amaya guessed there was no helping the matter. When she had seen Kiyochi, he was often alone. She could even see into his room quite easily. "Kobayashi Amaya." The boy looked up at her suddenly. "You said you were curious."

Kiyochi snapped to and bowed low. It was customary to give names first. He had forgotten his manners so easily. "Takahashi Kiyochi," he said as he raised his head. He looked down the dark hall. "What is down here anyway?"

Amaya stepped back. She glanced at the dark rooms. "Rooms that are no longer used. I am not sure what they were for. Maybe they used them years ago for classes. What is your interest regarding them?"

"Um, I was just asking," Kiyochi said. He watched Amaya walk past him towards the corner. "Don't you have class right now?"

"No," Amaya answered as she stopped. "I take care of the wounded birds in our sanctuary. That is what is at the end of the halls. Yet, I am surprised you are not in class."

"Well, I kind of skipped it, I guess," Kiyochi said as he watched Amaya glance at him. He straightened his posture. The girl before him was quite formal.

"I wouldn't let that be a habit of yours," Amaya stated. "They might forgive you once, but tardiness is something they don't take too lightly here. I've known a few who ended up scrubbing all of the windows on a Saturday." She watched Kiyochi just stare at her for a moment. "Well, are you coming, or not?"

Kiyochi felt funny. He stepped a few feet towards Amaya. "You want me to follow you?"

"You might as well. If you're caught sneaking around while students are in class, it won't look very good for your record," she said as she started to turn the corner. Kiyochi was behind her, walking cautiously. The hall they walked was old. It wasn't used anymore. Amaya only took this path because she could avoid most from the main path to the bird sanctuary.

"Isn't it unusual for a school to have a bird sanctuary," Kiyochi said as he started to hear the familiar sounds of birds making light noises through two thick doors.

"Yes, but our school isn't exactly normal," Amaya said. "The sanctuary was added by the late principal Mr. Yoshida. He adored birds. There was a school festival that earned money to build it. The birds were taken in from the zoo that used to be in our town. Since the economy went bad, they lost all funding and could no longer care for them. So every year, we raise money to help them."

Kiyochi shut his eyes as Amaya opened one of the doors. He was blinded by light instantly. He walked in with the girl admiring all of the vegetation. "Well, that would explain why I never noticed this place before," he said as he looked up into the ceiling. The bird sanctuary was completely covered with vines. "How long ago did the principal build this place?"

Amaya reached her hand up as a small green lovebird landed on her finger. "I'm sorry. You must have assumed I meant it had been built recently. The sanctuary has been here for forty years. It would take that much time for the vines to grow around it. No one comes here but me and the janitor. It's his job to clean up after them and mine to feed them."

"Oh, I see," Kiyochi said as he heard a few rainbow parrots make their noises off into the distance. As he walked with Amaya, he focused on all sorts of birds that were flying about. The girl was checking the birdseed in rectangular tins that were nailed to certain posts along the path. Kiyochi supposed the birds were fed from these. He heard water falling. "There's a waterfall in here?"

"Just a small one. It falls into the pond that's in the center of the sanctuary," Amaya said as they walked towards it. She moved her hand to gesture towards it. "It's the main water source for the birds. We try to keep all impurities out of it."

Kiyochi looked over the side of it. "I thought you said you were the only who came in here," he said looking at Amaya. A small girl with blond hair was swimming in the water happily. She appeared to be bathing in the water. "Ah! That can't be good for the birds," Kiyochi said as he averted his eyes quickly.

Amaya decided to look over the rail to see exactly what Kiyochi was panicking about. Her eye twitched. "Mae, get out of the water! That's for the birds," she said seriously annoyed. "Are you using soap? That'll make them sick!"

Mae looked up to see Amaya standing on the ledge. She was standing with some boy she had never seen before. She waved happily. "Hi, Amaya! The water's nice and cold. Do you want to get in with me?" She watched the older girl turn her head disgusted. "Oh, don't be like that. I had to take a bath somewhere. This was the nicest place I could think of."

"Why did she choose to do it in a place such as this," Kiyochi said. He watched Amaya walk off to open a gate that led down to the water. Kiyochi followed her. They walked down a bunch of steps made of rock. Kiyochi noticed the steps led off to the left and went into a cave under the waterfall. "Where are we?"

"It's a secret hideaway that was added to the sanctuary. It was supposed to be used to stock cargo, but we've found other uses for it," Amaya said as she passed a sleeping bag. It appeared Mae had made the cave her home for the time being. She looked at the girl as she waded at the edge of the water. "Are you going to stay in the water, or are you going to come out?"

Mae tilted her head. Her green eyes looked to the brown haired boy that was with Amaya. "Who is your friend? Is he one of us? No? It's not like you to associate with anyone that's normal." She smiled and laughed.

"Mae, stop saying useless things and come out of the water. Who told you it was alright to stay here?" Amaya watched the girl exit the water with a towel. She shook herself off like a dog, laughing.

"I thought it would be okay. You're the only one that's here during the day. That old man doesn't come until night. I don't let him see me. It's okay isn't it," Mae asked as she grabbed another towel to dry her hair.

"I told you to stay out of sight when you visited. Note I said, _visited. _Not, stay, Mae. If you are found here, they'll ask questions. I don't need to be interrogated," Amaya said. She watched Mae bounce happily towards Kiyochi. "Oh, no." She put her hand to her forehead. "I feel head tension."

Mae looked up at the tall boy. "You are quite normal, aren't you?" She smiled big. "I'm Yoshida Mae. Who are you?" She started to walk around the boy inspecting his clothes and posture.

Kiyochi tensed. He felt vulnerable with the younger girl watching him like that. "I'm Takahashi Kiyochi. Why are you looking at me like that?" He watched as the girl bounced up at him smiling.

"To make sure you're who you say you are," Mae said with her arms out.

"Why would I be anyone else," Kiyochi said as he watched Amaya grab Mae by the shoulders. She dragged the young girl away from Kiyochi. "You two are being awfully peculiar."

"Kiyochi, you should get back to class. The period is almost over. If you're found out of the building, they will send someone to look for you," Amaya warned. She made Mae sit. "Say 'goodbye' to Kiyochi. It's not fitting for him to associate with you while he is in class."

"Aw, Amaya, I don't want him to go. No one ever talks to me," Mae complained. "I'm tired of playing with toys." Mae started to whisper. "Can't you make a double ganger of him so he could play with me?"

"No, not this time. I'm not doing you any favors since you swam in the birds' water. Now I have to clean it. I hate cleaning water. It's time consuming," Amaya said. She turned her gaze to Kiyochi who was watching them blankly. "You need to go. Do you remember where the back doors are?"

"Yes, it's not that difficult to find," Kiyochi said scratching his head. "Well, I'm sure you're going to scold her or something. I'll be on my way. I'll just tell them I was sick or something," Kiyochi said as he waved to Mae. "Nice meeting you." He walked out of the cave with Amaya and Mae talking. Kiyochi wondered what the big secrecy was to this place. He went up the stone steps. Once he neared the top, he took one last look at the water. There were soap bubbles flowing to the sides. Kiyochi headed towards the double doors.

"What have you told him, Amaya," Mae asked. "I'm surprised you haven't befriended him sooner. Isn't he the boy that lives next door to you now?"

"I really don't like how you read someone's mind without asking," Amaya said. She looked out at the water. She raised her hand and held it parallel over the surface. "I don't befriend anyone. I'm really not allowed to," she said as a flash of light swept over the pond. The soap bubbles started to deteriorate. She sent another wave of light over it to get rid of the impurities. "How much of the bubble bath did you use?"

"The whole bottle," Mae said smiling as Amaya rolled her eyes. She watched the older boy use his magic to get rid of the impurities. It was going to take a while alright. "Don't be angry with me, Amaya. I can do you a favor in return for cleaning up the mess."

Amaya threw her notepad at the small girl. "Get started. I'm stuck on the last part. There is nothing that comes to mind for what I want to say."

Mae looked at the notepad. He read it aloud, "_My love, my flower to the end of the day. How reassuring I've lost my way. To be with you amongst these thorns, as my sleeve is caught and suddenly torn. Without knowing what path I'm on, to slip into the evergreen on your lawn. Your beauty I have endowed from afar-A sweet kiss upon the wind's…. _Oh, I see. You simply lost your train of thought. You were looking at Kiyochi at this point. I feel it on the paper," she said smiling. Amaya gave her a serious look. "Okay, I'll try to put something in." She had to think for a moment. "Why don't we change the last word? How's this? _Your beauty I have endowed from a way – a sweet kiss upon the wind's sunshine rays._ Does that suite you?"

Amaya lowered her hand. "The water's clean. Don't put bubbles in it again unless you want to clean it yourself. It will take you a lot longer. Your skills aren't as advanced as mine."

"Aw, you're being cruel," Mae said as she stuck her bottom lip out. "I fixed your poem, too." She handed the pad back to Amaya. She watched her friend stand still looking out at the other end of the cave entrance. "Are you going to go back to class? It's not like they can teach you anything you don't already know."

"I am not sure," Amaya said. "What kind of reading did you get from him," she asked watching Mae blink her eyes. She was aware that's what the little girl was doing when she was moving around Kiyochi earlier.

"Well, he seems to be very genuine. He has a good soul. He is quite lonely. I got that off of him. He pushes it far back into his mind. Kiyochi comes from a decent family. His father was laid off at his last job. That's why they moved here. His mother is working to clean houses for some small company in town. They are comfortable, but find it hard to settle some debt that they have to manage. I was trying to find that out, but you interrupted me, Amaya," she whined.

"That's enough information on him. I don't want to know too much about him. As long as he's normal, we're fine," Amaya said as she took a key out of her pocket. She stuck it into the cave wall. A strange door appeared with designs all over it. "If you want, I can bring you some nice things to eat. But only as long as you keep out of trouble."

Mae smiled happily. "I promise I won't leave the cave!" She watched Amaya walk into the closet she had unlocked. Mae sat on the cave floor. She took out one of her vintage toys and started to move the puppet around. "Sanshi, I think Amaya doesn't want to get close to Kiyochi because she's afraid she's going to be attached to him. Do you think so, too?" Mae made the puppet dance and nod his head. "I agree. It's been almost sixty years since Amaya has had a friend. Ever since Tanuka died, she hasn't been the same. It was a very long time ago and she's had enough time to get over it. Let's hope Kiyochi will become great friends with her!" The puppet danced in Mae's lap enthusiastically.

Kiyochi returned home once school was over. He walked down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets, his mind on the previous day. He had to admit that when he skipped art class, it had been more interesting than just drawing a still life. As he put his hand on the gate to his house, he looked up at the house next door. It was dark inside. Amaya wasn't home. He wondered if the girl checked on the birds in the sanctuary twice a day. He didn't know for sure.

Kiyochi could see straight into the upstairs bedroom. It was almost right across from his. He averted his eyes as he pushed the gate open. Kiyochi went inside. He took his shoes off and proceeded to go to the kitchen. He was putting off his assignment. Kiyochi didn't understand poems. As he drank out of the orange juice carton he turned his head to see a piece of paper on the counter. He lowered the carton and picked up the paper. "What's this?" It was a poem of some sort. Kiyochi walked up the stairs with the poem in his hand. He went to his room. As he sat on his bed, he took off his jacket, unbuttoning it. His eyes were focused entirely on the delicate handwriting.

_My love, my flower to the end of the day_

_How reassuring I've lost my way._

_To be with you amongst these thorns_

_As my sleeve is caught and suddenly torn._

_Without knowing what path I'm on_

_To slip into the evergreen on your lawn._

_Your beauty I have endowed from a way_

_A sweet kiss upon the wind's sunshine rays._

_Never has a smile, nor faithful glance_

_Caught me still in this trance_

_For I have sought and never found_

_A heart such as yours that I whilst to be bound._

_The day has caught me in its trap_

_My gaze constantly in a wrap_

_Of your tender, calm embrace_

_That I wish to know by face._

_For chosen am I to be_

_As a boat rocking on the seas_

_But with you there is that hope_

_That frees me from my ensnared ropes._

_So as the day presses to dawn_

_My love is fleeting – growing on_

_How my chances cannot be so_

_For you are me, and I am a repose._

Kiyochi read the poem again, slower. He looked at it. It wasn't just writing to him. Whoever who had written this, was very charismatic with poetry. He tried to decipher the handwriting. He didn't know whose it was. His parents weren't writers. "I wonder where this came from. It's absolutely beautiful. And I actually understand it," he said holding the paper up to the light through the window as if it could unlock its own code.

Kiyochi bit his lip, thinking. "Stealing it wouldn't be fair. I have to make one in my own words. But maybe I can use this to give me suggestions." He took out his notepad and pen from his back pack. "Alright, whoever wrote this is talent. I'll give him that. I need to be just as talented." Kiyochi didn't know what to write about. He thought back to the morning. "Poets write about whatever is on their minds…" Kiyochi's mind was constantly going back to the bird sanctuary he had found about that morning. He started to write.

Mae looked up at Amaya as they stood in the dark of the bedroom. Mae wanted to speak but the older girl was keeping her hand over her mouth. She wondered why the poem was given to Kiyochi. Finally, her hand came off, and Mae could breathe easier. "Amaya, why'd you give the poem you worked on to Kiyochi?"

Amaya watched Kiyochi start to write in his room. The other boy was constantly scratching his head and looking back at his poem. "He needed it to help him. That's why I gave it to him."

"Yes, but you snuck into his house. How do you know they don't have home security or something?"

"You were the one that told me his family was taking care of a debt. Which means, they couldn't afford something like that," Amaya said. "And if they do have home security and I got caught, you're in the same amount of trouble because you followed me."

"You really can't take a joke very well," Mae said in her sweet voice. She smiled. "So you were trying to help Kiyochi with his homework. Is that your official answer in denial?" Amaya looked down at her with the same blank gaze she gave everyone. "So that's a 'yes'."

Amaya waved her hand in front of her body. The curtains closed themselves so Kiyochi couldn't see in. She snapped her fingers. The raven started to make his normal bird sounds again. She looked back at the curtain as if she could see Kiyochi writing as he sat on his bed.

Mae went to look at the raven in his cage. She tilted her head. "Why don't you get a real bird? Dosu's been dead for almost twenty years. There are other pets you could have." She put her finger through the cage. It went straight through the bird.

"I like Dosu," Amaya said. She went to rummage through her clothes. "If you want something to sleep in, you need to get over here so I can fit you." She took out a few shirts for Mae to borrow. "When are you going home?"

Mae crossed her arms as Amaya snatched her shirt off. Before she knew it, she had on an old faded t-shirt. "I'm not ever going home. Father wants me to be in the Kiyoi Guard. I don't want to be a guard. There's not any excitement in it. I'd rather be with you," she said happily.

"If Lord Sumato catches you with me, it'll be both of our heads, Mae. I do not wish to see you punished for it," Amaya said. "I've kept hidden from his sight for sixty years. I do not wish to have his daughter in my presence if I'm caught. It would mean treason on your part."

Mae sat on the floor watching Amaya stand in front of her. The older girl put her fingertip to her nose, and then turned around with her hand out in front; index finger raised and thumb out. She was checking the magical barriers she had placed on the house. It took quite a lot of magic to be able to seal her location. Mae had been searching for Amaya for a very long time. She wasn't able to get in the house without her friend due to the strong magic upon it.

Amaya sighed. "We're still safe. If he finds us, or basically me, we're all in a world of trouble." She reached into her pocket for a few pebbles. Amaya blew on them. They changed from their gray color to match the outside of the house. She threw them at each wall, the floor and the ceiling. The pebbles sunk into the foundation. They appeared on the outside as round carvings with eyes and flat mouths.

"That's the real reason you parted earlier! You went to get Ogoe alarms for the house!" Mae knew about those kinds of alarms. They sounded off whenever someone with high magical abilities came within 50 km of the thing they were guarding. "Amaya, is this why you don't go out? Those types of alarms take a lot of magic."

"I don't go out at night because I can never spot an enemy too easily. It's was always one of my drawbacks as a Kiyoi Guard. It'd hard to see figures in the night sky or in dark places when there isn't the right amount of light." She sat in her chair at the desk. Carefully, she moved the curtain way to check on Kiyochi. The boy was throwing paper around annoyed at his own writing.

"Is there a reason you have stayed in this spot for so long? It's not that secluded out here, "Mae said watching her friend let the curtain fall back into place. "It's easier to get lost in a huge city than a small town. Even you know that."

Amaya looked down at her paper on the desk. "I haven't felt like moving. Something has always told me to stay here. It's like my feet were rooted here before I knew where this place was. I don't know why I feel like that. It's not normal."

Mae smiled. "You've found somewhere to belong. Kind of odd that it was in the normal mortal world though. This place is interesting and different from ours, but they can't use magic, Amaya. Everything takes more effort here."

"Perhaps that's why I like it, you silly girl," Amaya said. "In our world, we study a lot of spells and read books to gain knowledge. Here, you have to be out in the world to experience it. Everything changes every seconds of the day in the mortal world. It may not be spectacular, but it's not predictable like ours. It's also less formal."

"I guess so," Mae said as she crawled into Amaya's bed. "Are you going to class tomorrow, or are you only checking on the birds?" She crawled under the sheets.

"I'm only going to check on the birds. It's the weekend here. They don't attend school constantly like we do. I promise not to be too loud." She flicked on the lamp at her desk. "Get some sleep, Mae. Maybe I'll take you to the fair tomorrow."


	2. The Carnival

**Chapter 2**

**The Carnival**

Mae ran through Amaya's house wearing nothing more than a t-shirt. Amaya was gone to feed the birds at the sanctuary at the school she attended. "Well, since Amaya's gone, I can cut loose," she said happily with her hands on her hips. She ran down the hallway sliding on her feet. Mae stopped to look at the wooden rail that went past the steps towards the first floor. Mae took a deep breath. "Nah, that'd be childish." She walked off, but came back within a few minutes. She was wearing a towel around her neck. "But not if it's Mae the Great performing her daring tricks!"

Mae ran at the rail, jumped and slid down it on her rear backwards. She glided all of the way down until she hit the wooden column at the end. Mae giggled. "That was fun," she said happily. Just as she was getting off the rail, there was a knock at the door. Mae flailed her arms and fell onto the hard floor. "Ow," she said as she sat up rubbing her head. She got up and went to the door. "Who is it," she asked sweetly. "I'm the man of the house," she said in a deep voice.

"It's Kiyoshi. Is Amaya home," he asked from the other side of the door. He looked at the door hard. Didn't he know that voice? "Mae, is that you? I thought you were staying at school." The door opened. Green eyes were looking back at him. "Where is Amaya?"

"She is gone to feed the birds," Mae said. "Kiyoshi, do you want to play with me," she asked hopefully as she swung the door open, her arms held out. "Please?"

Kiyoshi twitched. "I don't mind visiting, but where are your pants?" The girl cocked her head.

"Oh, my dirty clothes are upstairs. Amaya let me borrow one of her shirts," she told Kiyoshi. As he stepped in, Mae looked left and right suspiciously before she shut the door .

Kiyoshi jumped a little as the door slammed. Why was everyone so cautious around here? Before he knew it, Mae had tackled him from behind. Kiyoshi hit the floor. He groaned. "Did you have to do that?"

"Why not? Life isn't over until you die, Kiyoshi," Mae said sweetly and happily. "What do you want to play? I don't know any games from this place."

"This place? I don't play games. I'm too old for those sorts of things," he said as he sat up. He noticed the towel around the girl's neck. "Why are you wearing a towel?"

Mae puffed out her chest as she put her hands on her hips. "Because I'm Mae the Great!" She watched Kiyoshi quirk a brow. "You don't know how to have fun. You need to live!"

Kiyoshi reached into his pocket. He took out the poem he had found in his house. "Do you know anything about this?" He watched Mae avert her eyes. So she did. "I'm only friends with one person at school and she doesn't know where I live. Did you two break into my house to leave this on the counter?"

Mae put her hands up in a forgiving gesture. "Please don't be mad at us. She saw you struggling with your assignment and -," She covered her mouth.

Kiyoshi looked at Mae rather awkwardly. "How did she know I had to write a poem for class? I didn't tell her. She doesn't have Literature with me." He watched the girl try to think of a cover up.

"She talked to someone who was in your class?" Mae held her breath. Would he buy it? Kiyoshi raised a brow. Mae smiled at him cutely. _When all else fails, look adorable._

Kiyoshi didn't know what was going on. "Okay… so she talked to someone in my class. Why would Amaya care about my homework assignment? She could have simply asked me herself."

"I'm not really sure. Amaya is the type who hates to see someone struggling. Don't be mad," Mae said cutely.

"Alright, I won't be mad. Still, tell her not to break into my house. I know my parents work a lot, but she could have been caught. My dad's work schedule is often unpredictable," Kiyoshi said as he looked around the house. He looked at the walls. For someone that had been living there a long time, Amaya didn't have any pictures up. The house was pretty bare except for a few seats in the living room. "Mae, what do her parents do?"

"Do? Oh! You mean their jobs? Amaya doesn't have any parents," Mae said as she watched Kiyoshi walk from one area of the house to the other. "Her parents died a long time ago."

"Then how is she able to stay here? Does she have outside family helping her with rent?" Kiyoshi touched the walls with his fingers. They seemed older than they originally appeared. He couldn't explain why though.

"No, Amaya has her own inheritance to help with the expenses," Mae said as she came up with a good and decent lie. Amaya didn't have to pay rent. The house was built by her family hundreds of years ago. She was glad Kiyoshi wasn't from the area, or he would have known the house wasn't supposed to be there. "Say, Kiyoshi, we're going to the fair later. Do you want to come with us?"

"The fair? I've never really cared for fairs," he said as he looked away. Kiyoshi looked over his shoulder at Mae. The blond haired girl was watching him with a tender gaze. "Truth is, I've never been to one. My parents have always worked and we've moved a lot. I couldn't tell you the first friend I had. They all forget me in time. So I've never had anyone to do things with."

"So you can come? We're leaving at dusk. That gives me enough time to coax Amaya into buying us dinner," Mae said smiling. "I've never been to a fair either. Kiyoshi, can you ride the big wheel with me? The one that has lights on it?"

"You mean the Ferris Wheel? Yeah, but I'm slightly afraid of heights," Kiyoshi admitted. "I fell out of a tree once. I can't remember why I was up there to begin with. It happened at night. I saw something in the sky and I think I went to go see what it was. Right when I got to the top, I fell all of the way down. It broke my leg, my arm, and a few of my ribs. Mom was scared when it had happened. She said it could have killed me. Father was not thrilled. The medical bills were outrageous. Anyway, sorry," he said rubbing the back of his head. "Boring story. I'll let you get dressed. Just come get me later okay?"

Mae walked Kiyoshi to the door. She smiled as Kiyoshi left to go home. He kept glancing at her. She remained still with her hands clasped behind her back. Once the door was shut, Mae bounced. "Now if only I can get Amaya to accept Kiyoshi. She can have a new friend." She ran up the stairs still wearing the towel around her neck.

***********************************************************************

Amaya returned from feeding the birds hours later. She walked out of the portal in the wall below the stairs. As she stepped away, she tapped around the portal with a special piece of chalk. The door faded away in a few seconds. The house was awfully quiet. Where was Mae? She walked up the stairs slowly, ears listening.

Amaya pushed open her bedroom door slowly. Mae was laying on the floor listening to something. "Mae, what are you doing?"

Mae held up her finger for Amaya to be silent. She kept her ear on the small piece of metal that was glowing near her ear. She could hear voices coming through it. They were hard to decipher due to the static. Mae touched the metal object with her finger. The glow around the metal disappeared. It was off. "I was trying to listen to what my father is up to. I heard noises in his room."

Amaya tensed. "You have a Quaid! Mae, where is the other one placed?" She gritted her teeth. Quaids were listening tools that allowed them to eavesdrop on certain people, but they weren't foolproof.

"I don't think I want to tell you. I don't like the way your eyes are looking at me," Mae said. She got up quickly as Amaya went for the device. She dove under the bed as Amaya snatched it. "You can't use it anyway. It only reads my fingerprint," she said from under the bed.

"Do you have any idea what this could do? It's not to be taken lightly," Amaya said as she slammed it on the floor trying to break it. Mae stuck her head out. "If I'm found associating with you, we'll both be in hot water! Your father is not one to listen to reason!" She turned around to look out of the window. Kiyoshi was running around his room doing something.

"Amaya, my father won't find it. I placed it in his room under his bed. It's great for listening into the halls. The workers talk a lot when they come to clean. Unlike the rest of the palace, they talk freely in my father's room. I suppose it's because they feel safe in there –like no one's watching. It does help keep us out of the light," Mae said as she crawled out. She sat with her arms crossed. "Gossip is partially true anyways. They do hear things that go on in the court. We're not there to know what moves are being made. It's the only way to find out."

"I have avoided your father's wrath this long, Mae. You're not doing me any favors. Do not access this thing again in my house, or even in this area. If you are caught, get caught, but I won't be with you. I'm already in trouble with everyone as it is. I've abandoned my post and that's punishable by death."

Mae crawled over to Amaya as she sat at her desk. "But you had a reason didn't you? Why did you leave? Is it because of Tanuka?" Amaya turned fully around trying to ignore her. "Amaya, what happened to him? No one talks about it. You were the only one there. If you didn't do anything wrong, why not confess and clear your name?"

"That's enough, Mae. Some things are too painful to discuss. I won't ruin his memory by talking about him in such mild detail. Leave me alone for a while. I wish to write," Amaya said. She took out her pad and pen. It was one of the few commodities she allowed herself to enjoy.

Mae sat on the bed quietly. She looked out at the trees behind Amaya's house. She saw a few animals running about. Mae reached into her pocket and pulled out a small gummy fruit. It was dark green and small. She took a bite. _If I can't play with Amaya, I'll go play with the animals. _Mae's body shifted into that of a squirrel. She looked at her hands. They were small and had sharp nails. She turned around to look at his bushy tail. Mae shook it. She giggled.

Mae opened the window, sliding it back. It was just enough for her to get out of the house. She scurried along the tile of the house. _This is going to be fun! _

*********************************************************************

Kiyoshi put on his jacket as he walked down the stairs. It was dusk out. Mae was eager to go to the fair. Kiyoshi had already said he would go with her. As he hit the bottom of the stairs, he heard a knock at the door. "Mom, I'm leaving now," he said softly to his tired mother. She was lying on the couch. She reached her hand up to wave at him softly. He walked over and laid a blanket over her. Kiyoshi made sure the TV was turned down. He went to open the door.

"Hi, Kiyoshi! Are you ready to go to the Carnival with us? I've never been to one! Can we still ride the Ferris wheel together," Mae said happily. She bounced up and down.

"Yeah, sure. I've never been on one before, so I'm a little hesitant about it," Kiyoshi said as he glanced at Amaya. Amaya was waiting at the gate with her arms crossed. "Does she not want me to go?"

Mae tilted her head. She started to walk backwards as Kiyoshi left the house. "No, it's not that. Amaya doesn't like night time is all. She can't see very well," Mae said. She tensed as Amaya grabbed her by the collar and tugged her roughly along.

"Voicing concerns that are not yours, gets on my nerves. You need to keep your mouth shut," Amaya said lowly. She dragged Mae along the streets with the girl whining. "Knock it off. It's not becoming of someone with your stature."

Kiyoshi didn't understand. Why was Amaya upset? "Are you always so rough with her? I don't think you two are friends like you're playing off. Friends don't act that way with each other."

Amaya's dark eyes glanced at him. "Mae speaks too much. I am no more than a guardian at this point. If you two are going to enjoy yourselves at the carnival, do so." She turned back around as she let go of Mae's collar.

Kiyoshi stopped. Amaya was not happy with leaving her house. _Something's a bit off about her. Who would have a problem leaving to enjoy an outing with someone? Amaya's guard is up. She keeps looking around. Why is she being so suspicious?_ Kiyoshi walked behind Amaya with Mae next to him. The girl wouldn't leave his side. He supposed Mae didn't want to anger Amaya further.

When they arrived at the carnival, Kiyoshi paid for the three of them. He walked in silently, eying the large crowd of people. No one seemed to notice them. He watched people running from others, laughing and others playing games at the entrance. Amaya sighed. "This is beneath me. Go enjoy yourselves. Keep out of trouble, Mae," she said as she went to find a seat near a tree.

"You aren't coming with us? Why not? I never see you leave the house. You have to get out and enjoy yourself, sometime," Kiyoshi said. The older girl looked at him. "At least ride the Ferris wheel with us later? Please?"

Amaya rubbed her temples. "Kiyoshi, I don't like to be out in crowds. They make me nervous. I have a sort of anxiety about it. I know it seems like I'm being rude, but please understand. I didn't mind you coming with Mae," she said watching Kiyoshi.

"Please ride the Ferris wheel with us," Kiyoshi said again smiling at Amaya. "I'm afraid of heights. I'd rather you be up there with me than Mae. She'd probably squeal like a little girl if the seats rock too much."

Amaya rested her cheek against her hand. "You're not going to let up about it, are you? Alright, I'll go with you two on the Ferris wheel. When you two are done playing around in this ridiculous place, come and get me." She watched them nod and run off together. Amaya remained still. If he remained in the dark, no one would notice her. _Kiyoshi reminds me of someone. But it's impossible to figure out whom. I haven't been around another person like this for nearly fifty years. Why am I letting that boy past the walls I have? _

_**********************************************************************_

Kiyoshi looked up at the ride. He tensed. "Mae, I don't know about this one. It looks frightening." Mae had been drawn to a ride that held several metal seats in a row. The lights flashed up and down the seats. The ride seemed to go forwards and backwards in a strange circle. "I don't understand why it looks simple."

"It goes fast eventually," Sachiko said from behind him. Kiyoshi jumped a little. "Hello, Kiyoshi. Did you come to the carnival to ride the rides, also?" She looked at the girl beside him. "Is she your sister? You never told me you had a one. She's a cute one," she said smiling. "That ride is called the Centipede. I hope you haven't had anything to eat if you go on that one. It speeds up after a short while then reverses itself."

"Oh, please, Kiyoshi! Can we get on that one! I want to see how fast it goes," Mae said as she tugged him hard.

Kiyoshi looked at the Centipede ride. The lights were flashing. The man who was running the machine called that it would be starting shortly. People were lining up to get on. "Mae, I'm not so sure about that one."

Mae pouted. "You said you would ride the rides with me. Please? It can't go that fast. It's only a carnival ride. Come on," she demanded pulling the older boy along.

Kiyoshi looked back at Sachiko who was waving 'bye' to him. "No, Sachiko, help! She won't let go!" Too late. He was in line for the ride. There were younger kids than Mae wanting to get on. Kiyoshi had to suck up his nervousness. He couldn't look like a pansy in front of the little kids. What kind of guy would he be? As Mae gave the man their tickets, Kiyoshi followed the blond haired girl like a zombie. _This is not going to be good. I have a bad feeling about this. Sachiko's idea of 'fast' is not the same as normal peoples. _He sat down next to Mae. "I can't believe how many people are getting on." The Centipede was loaded and ready to go. The man up front waved at them as it started to jerk.

Mae bounced in her seat. The ride started to follow the track it was on. The lights flashed as blaring loud music started to play overhead. "See, Kiyoshi? This isn't so bad! It's just going in a circle. It's not that fast," she said smiling up at the older boy.

Kiyoshi didn't look so good. His hands were tightened around the metal rod of the seat they were in. His knuckles were white from the grip he had on them. This was the first ride he had ever been on and he could already tell he didn't particularly like it. "I don't think it's going to stay at this speed." In fact, he swore it was speeding up.

The people on the Centipede screamed and laughed as the ride became faster. Mae joined them in their glee. She put her hands above her body as the ride sped up. The lights were flashing faster and the music seemed to get louder. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. Kiyoshi, on the other hand, was freaked out. His eyes were wide and his teeth were gritted. "Kiyoshi, loosen up. You're not going to fall off of it," she said trying to make the situation better.

Kiyoshi looked down at Mae. "This is your entire fault," he yelled as the ride suddenly screeched. It started to go in reverse just as fast. He really wanted to get off. "I feel like I'm on a run away train!"

"You're just like Amaya! You blame me for everything! It doesn't hurt to try something new," Mae said yelling back at him. The ride was going faster than she expected. In fact, it was totally worse in reverse. The Centipede was going down the slope rather fast, around a large loop and back up the slope again.

Kiyoshi closed his eyes trying to bear the shifting of the metal seats and loud music. It was all giving him a headache along with a panic attack. He wasn't used to it. Normally he chose to get on things that were safe, or that he had control over. When he was practically prepared to faint, the ride started to slow down. He opened his eyes as it came to a stop. The people were getting off. Mae looked up at him with his hair a mess. "Alright, we tried this ride. Now let's never get on this one again."

Mae climbed out. She fell over the seat and onto the platform. "Yeah, I agree with you." She stumbled as she got up. Her balance was off. Mae shook her head. "So what other ride should we try?"

"How about we try something a little safer? The motions on those things scare me," Kiyoshi admitted. He walked with Mae to the back of the carnival. There were strange attractions on wheels that were lined up side by side. "These rides aren't so bad. You get in and they take you from the top to the bottom. Some of them have loud noises and things that pop out at you to scare you. The funhouse is neat. Let's try that one."

Mae walked into the funhouse. "Kiyoshi, there are mirrors everywhere! Look, there are multiples of us. How do we get past the mirrors?"

"I think you're supposed to go through them to find your way out. Don't trust your eyes. Put your hands out like this and feel around. Some of the mirrors are real, but some of them aren't there," Kiyoshi said as he started to feel around in the space in front of his body. He turned around. Mae was gone. Kiyoshi blinked. "Mae, where did you go?"

"I don't know. I was only doing what you told me to do," she said as her voice echoed throughout the area. "Try following my voice. Apples. Apples. Kiyoshi, you're supposed to say 'oranges' when I say 'apples'."

Kiyoshi slapped his forehead as he tried to find the way out by himself. "It's Marco Polo, Mae. Where the heck are you from?" Mae started calling 'apples' again. Kiyoshi sighed. "Oranges… Oranges…" He found her. "Well, that was utterly ridiculous."

Mae smiled sweetly at him. "This is fun! Where do we go now?" She looked around until she saw a long hallway. "I guess we need to go that way, right?" Kiyoshi followed her as she ran down the hallway. She was looking at the painted designs on the walls. Mae looked up at the stairs eagerly. "Kiyoshi, the arrow says to go this way! Come on!" Mae ran up the stairs halfway until she yelled. The stairs dropped about three inches. She breathed hard as she grabbed onto the sides of the stairs.

Kiyoshi looked at the contraption as he checked it. "Mae, I think it's supposed to do that." He pushed on the bottom step with his foot. The stairs clinked as they bounced. "It's okay. It's a trick."

Mae looked at Kiyoshi slowly before she let go of the stairs. "If I stand up, will it fall again?" She watched the older boy start to walk up the stairs towards her. Mae slowly rose. She scrambled the remainder of the way.

Kiyoshi soon reached the top. "Who would have thought you to be such a chicken? It looks like we have to go through that moving tunnel up ahead. Come on," he said.

Mae held onto Kiyoshi the entire time through the tunnel until they made it out. She was awfully dizzy. Mae shook it off as she noticed a funny looking cart with a bar on a track. "Oh, boy! Are we supposed to get in?" Kiyoshi nodded. Mae ran at the cart, placed her hands on the back of it, and frog leaped over until she plopped onto the seat. Kiyoshi sat down next to her. The bar automatically came forward to hold them in place. "I wonder where we're going," she said as the cart started to move on the tracks.

Kiyoshi looked around. "It's fixing to get darker, I think. There's probably going to be noises along with sounds to scare you. I've heard about funhouses. They're all the same." The double doors opened as the cart entered the room. Kiyoshi's eye twitched. "What kind of funhouse is this?"

Mae bounced in her seat. There were automatons all around them singing. Rabbits were moving about popping out of holes as deer ate fake grass. Birds sang melodies from trees as they flapped their wings. Fairies were moving through the air on wires overhead. "I like this place! They even have fairies!"

Kiyoshi laid his arms and head on the bar. "Get me out of here," he said in disappointment. A fat little woman giggled at Kiyoshi. She wore a large mushroom hat and a red and white polka dotted outfit. 'Are you enjoying your stay in the Mushroom Kingdom? We're glad you're here.' Kiyoshi wanted to bash the automaton.

As they exited the ride, Mae squealed as she ran forth. She jumped onto her stomach and slid all of the way down the slide. She came off sliding in the dirt. Kiyoshi landed behind her on his feet. "That was fun! Can we go on the animal spinner next?"

"Animal spinner? That's a merry-go-round. It can't be as bad as the funhouse." Kiyoshi walked with Mae to it. He showed the man the bracelets they wore so they could get in. "The great thing about these bracelets is you get to ride as many rides as you want. Other people only buy so many tickets because they don't plan on staying long."

Mae waited in line until the assistant let everyone through the gate. "I see a giraffe! I want to get on that one. Will you help me get on it? It's awfully high."

Kiyoshi followed Mae to it. He put his arms around the girl's waist to lift her onto it. "Hey they put a lot of detail into this guy. He almost looks real, doesn't he?"

"Why don't you get on the koala next to me," Mae said as the lights flashed up and down the merry-go-round.

"No, I'd look ridiculous on it. Besides, I think someone's already eying it," Kiyoshi said as a small boy came towards it. He was trying to get on it, but was having difficulty. "Would you like for me to help you?" Kiyoshi bent down and held out his hands for the boy to put his foot on. "Put your feet in my hands and I'll raise you up till you can get on, okay?" He helped the small boy on. Kiyoshi walked over to a lion. "I think I like the lion better," he said. He mounted it.

Mae smiled happily as the merry-go-round started to spin. She moved up and down on the giraffe as crazy whirly music played. Mae held onto the striped rod as the giraffe moved. "There sure are a lot of people on here. I guess everyone likes merry-go-rounds, huh?"

"Yeah, you can ride them no matter what age you are. They're fun," Kiyoshi said as he smiled back at the blond haired girl. Mae was thoroughly enjoying herself. Kiyoshi looked out at the crowd. There were people waving to their small ones on board. He noticed an odd young man standing out in the crowd. _Who is that? He's dressed kind of weird. _Kiyoshi noticed the man wore a wide brimmed hat that seemed to be out of date. It didn't match the time period at all. It kind of reminded him of the three musketeers. Kiyoshi kept his gaze focused on the man. He had long white hair tied in the back with a bow. He was also wearing a navy blue cape kept on his shoulders with a gold chain that was linked. The merry-go-round moved away from the man in the crowd. Kiyoshi tried to find the same man again, but he was gone.

Mae hopped off of the giraffe. She stretched. "What else should we ride, Kiyoshi? I want to ride the Ferris wheel the most." Her happy attitude died when she saw Amaya waiting for them near the gate. She tugged Kiyoshi to follow her.

"How did he know where we were," Kiyoshi asked. She walked over to them. Amaya was looking around the area slowly. "Hey, how'd you know where we were," Kiyoshi repeated.

Amaya finally looked at Kiyoshi. "I didn't. I was scouting the entire area. I had no idea you two would be gone this long." She resumed looking around the area. The band she wore around her left wrist had light green lines appear on it. It was a warning that someone with magical ability was close to her. Amaya reached down to grab Mae's wrist despite her complaints. "Thank Kiyoshi for the evening, Mae. We must be going."

"I want to ride the lighted wheel with, Kiyoshi! You never let me have fun, Amaya," she yelled to the top of her lungs. People were beginning to stare. "Let me ride the wheel! I want to ride it!"

Amaya tightened her grip on the girl's wrist. "No! Tell him 'good night'. That is final!" Amaya didn't let her stern gaze leave Mae. She was struggling hard to get free.

Eiji didn't know why Amaya was acting the way she was. "Why won't you let her stay? What is wrong with you?" Kiyoshi gritted his teeth. "She wasn't doing anything to anyone!"

Amaya started to walk away from Kiyoshi with Mae struggling. "We don't have time for this, Mae! A Searcher is here," she said angrily as lowly as she could. She turned around right at the time Kiyoshi came after them. "Stay out of this!"

"You don't have any right to treat her that way," Kiyoshi said angrily. He forced himself between Amaya and Mae. "You've been stand offish since I met you. Is it me? Do you not want her near me? What is your problem?"

Mae saw the anger building up in Amaya's eyes. The older girl was trying to remain calm. They had gained enough unwanted attention. She looked at Kiyoshi who was defending her. "Amaya," Mae said softly. "I'm sorry. I won't fight anymore. I'll go home now."

Kiyoshi stood staring at his neighbor until she turned around without another word to him. Amaya began to walk off with Mae following her. Kiyoshi balled up both of his fists. _She acted like I didn't even exist. Is that the way she treats everyone? _People moved behind him along the concession stands. The lights of the carnival blinked. Kiyoshi stood with his back to it. He had had enough of this evening. He kicked a paper cup on the ground before he, too, left.


End file.
